Truck self-loader attachment



Oct. 23, 1945. 5. SMITH TRUCK SELF LOADER ATTACHMENT 3 Shee ts-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 20, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

Stanley Smith.

A'ITD R N EYS Oct. 23, 1945. s. SMITH TRUCK SELF LOADER ATTACHMENT 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 20, 1945 AV ummmwwmmmmmwuwwn V INVENTOR.-Staney Smith ATI'DRN EYE vOct. 23, 1945. Y 5. SMITH 2,387,687

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Stan [6:9 Smith.

; able an operator to Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCTRUCK SELF-LOADER ATTACHMENT Stanley Smith, Bend, Oreg. ApplicationFebruary 20, 1945, Serial No. 578,833

9 Claims.

My present invention, in its broad aspect, has do with improvements intruck loaders to enather and load material into the truck body such aslogs, fuel, gravel, coal and the like. My truck loader apparatus isdetachable Or demountable when not in use and is powdered from a powertake-off from the truck motor, furthermore, the scoop used with myloader may have either a solid plate bottom, a reticulated bottom, ormay be formed with spaced floor strips, or with teeth, and the operatorcan see the loader frame through the windshield when the loader is indumping position.

More particularly, it is my purpose to provide a device of this generalcharacter which has a frame into which the vehicle may be backed forattachment. The frame carries a rake or shovel device or toothed scoopat its rear end and has a detachable pivotal connection at its front endwith the vehicle so that when the material to be loaded is engaged, theback end of the frame is lifted bodily by a cable connected with apower-take-oif fromthe vehicle motor and pivoted about the pivotalconnection to dump the material to be loaded into the vehicle body.Furthermore, when in dumping position, the frame is braced to the groundso that tipping and the like is prevented.

There is also provided an improved means for attaching the framepivotally to the truck body, and improved means for latching it inattached position. My power take-off is controlled by the vehicle brakepedal and operates through a lifting cable and drum to elevate and dropthe frame, and the frame is exceptionally sturdy, efilcient and simple,and is highly practical for the purposes intended, and the scope hasside plates to securely hold the material therein.

I provide novel and practical guide means for the frame as this poweredvehicle is backed into the frame, and one of said'guide means functionas a brace for the attaching bars.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from theforegoing detailed description and drawings of a preferred form used forillustration, but it is pointed out that changes in form, size, shape,construction and arrangement of parts may be made, provided they fallwithin my broad inventive concept and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein a preferred form of my invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention applied to a. truck, thedumping position being indicated in dotted lines;

Figur 2 is a top plan view with the hood of the truck broken away toshow the power takeoff mechanism;

Figure 3 is a detail view of the side bars of the frame pivoted to thetruck and shows the guides;

Figure 41s a view of the side bars of the frame released from the truckand also shows the uides;

Figure 5 is a view of the extensible pivoting bar and support with theends extended to be enaged by the frame;

Figure 6 is a detail of the means for extending the ends of the bar andsupport, such means being shown in position with the ends extended, and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 with the ends retracted.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference are used todesignate like or similar parts throughout the several views:

The numeral l designates a truck of conventional type having a body 2, achassis 3, rear wheels ti, a cab 5, a hood 6, a motor l, a transmissiont, and a brake mechanism and lever 9.

Mounted in brackets to beneath the chassis 3 and ahead of the rearwheels Al is a hollow bar it. Telescoping within the ends of the bar iiiare extension bars ii each carrying at its inner end a pin 82 which fitsinto and extends through a slot it in the hollow bar Iii. Engaging eachpin l 2 is a link M, one being relatively short and the other long, andeach link is pivotally connected as at B5 to an arm is of a T-shapedopcrating lever ii, the remaining arm It! of which is pivotallyconnected with a ro is reaching to the cab 5 and connected with anoperating handle Illa to be moved to throw the extension bars Iiin-and-out of the bar ltsee Figures 5-6-7.

When in their outermost position, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the barsII are engaged by the side rails 20 of a rectangular frame 2|. Each siderail 2! has a U-shaped supporting foot 22 which normally keeps it atsuch a height from the ground that it will readily engage the bars I|seeFigure 1-and each rail is provided with a beveled, forwardly projectingextension 23 and a downwardly curved guide lip 23a to insure properalignment of the recess 24 with the bar I! and to facilitate backing atruck into connecting engagement with the frame. The semicircular recess24 in the end of each rail 20 is between the extension 23 and lip 23a toproperly receive the bar H. A second guide plate 24a goes about the barII and is extended at 24b cross piece 34see Figure b and attached to theframe at 24c. Guide plate 24a serves as a reinforcement for the bar Apivoted latch 25 having a beveled end 26 and a semi-circular face 21 isprovided on each rail, and each latch has a shank 28 pivoted as at 29 tothe rail to be moved into engagement with the baras shown in Figure 3-tohold the rail in engagementwith the bar. A coil spring 30 is provided tohold the latch in closed position, as in Figure 3, and against thetension of which the latch may be moved to open position as shown inFigure 4.

Attached to side rails 20 of the frame 2| adjacent the rods II areangular uprights 3| bolted together at the top as at 33, and to atransverse Removably attached as at 34a to the ide rails 20 and rearupright 3| is the inclined part 34 of a scoop or flat shovel 36-a rakeor the like may be substituted-which extends somewhat back of the bodyof the truck and has an upwardly inclined back 36a. Side pieces 36band36c are attached to the scoop and inclined toward its forward edge.

Attached to the uprights 3| intermediate their ends are feet 36d whichare located between the ends of uprights 3| and disposed to engage theground as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 when the frame and scoop arein dumping position, and by reason of the position of the frame, it canbe viewed through the windshield by the operator when in dumpingposition. It will be noted that the upper side plates or pieces 36b areinclined inwardly toward the truck to guide the material and preventdisplacement. My scoops are detachable through removal of attachingmeans In operation, a truck is backed into the frame and the framelatched to the bars H which have been placed in extended position. Whenthe scoop or shovel 36 is in the full line position of Figure 1 backingof the truck will engage coal, cord wood or the like and fill the scoopor shovel, it is then elevated to the dotted line position shown inFigure 1 and the contents dumped into the body of the truck. The part 34is inclined to facilitate loading the scoop and properly dumping thecontents into the body.

In order to elevate the frame-or rather pivot it about the bars H as afulcrum-l provide a universally connected power take-ofi 31 with a shaft38 leading to a drive pinion 39 at the front of the vehicle-see Figure2-where a beveled gear 40 on a rotatable drum 4| is provided to drivethe drum 4|. The drum is pivotally mounted in brackets 42 and has acable 43 leading upwardly to the cross piece 34 of the frame. Windingand unwinding of the cable 43 on the drum 4| raises and lowers theframe. A connection 44 to the brake lever 9 of the truck brakes theshaft 38 through a brake drum 45 and band, 46 as shown in Figure 2 tocontrol the movement of the frame, and a lever 41 controls the operationof the power take-off 31.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation and advantages ofmy invention will be apparent, but it is again emphasized thatinterpretation thereof should only be conclusive when made in the lightof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A truck loader for use with a truck having a brake mechanism and apower'take-ofl, comprising an extensibie rod fixed to the truck, meansfor extending and retracting the rod. 9. frame having its front endpivotally and detachably engaged with the rod, a material engaging meanson the rear of the frame, standards on the frame, a cable drum connectedwith the power take-oi! of the truck, the cable connected with thestandards to raise and lower the frame. means connected with the brakemechanism for controlling the cable, and means for latching the frame onthe rod.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the extensible rod includesa hollow body and slidable telescoping members at the ends, and linkmeans for extending and withdrawing the telescoping members.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the frame has a U-shapedsupport for mounting the same in position to engage the rod, and whereinbeveled extensions on the frame facilitate mounting the same on the rod.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the latching means haspivoted latch devices with shanks pivoted to the frame, and springs tohold the latches in latching position.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the frame includes siderails formed with semicircularly cut-out ends engaging the extensiblerods, and the standards include angular memggrs attached at their topsto a transverse mem- 6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein theextensible ends on the rod have pins engaged by links, said linksengaging a T-shaped lever and a rod and operating handle connected withthe T-shaped lever.

7. A truck loader, comprising a pivoted frame, a material engagingelement carried on the rear part of the frame, means for detachablycoupling the frame to a truck body, a drum connection to a powertake-off of a truck a cable on said drum adapted to elevate the framemeans connected to the brake mechanism of said truck for controlling thecable on said drum, means engaging the ground and carried by the framefor supporting the frame in dumping position, a spring latch device forholding the frame on the truck body, and plural guide means forcentering and aligning the frame with an element of the frame to connectthe same thereto, and side plates on the material engaging element.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein the truck body isprovided with attaching rods, guides engaging the rods, one of the frameelements engaging the rods, and guides on the frame element, certain ofsaid guides being downwardly curved, and the others extendin forwardly,and the latch devices being springactuated to a closed position andbeing located adjacent said latter guides.

9. The invention as defined in claim '7 wherein said frame supports arecarried between the ends of uprights of the frame, and wherein certainof the side plates of the material engaging element are inwardly flared,and others are inclined.

STANLEY SMITH.

